Left arm and hand pain.

[DefectorQC]

I have pain in my left arm, its like a tingling sensation and also have bad pain in the lower part of my left hand upper the wrist. Its happening on and off all day long for 1 month now. Also have chest pain on the left side and my left arm get numb and tingling. All of this happen at rest.

I had a lot of heart tests done (holter monitor, EKG, blood tests, echography of the heart, events monitor 2 weeks, stress test...) , my Cardio Doc cant find anything wrong with my heart.

I had those tests more than a year ago before the left arm and hand pain start. So im a lot worried about a heart disease...

I do smoke 1 pack a day, im a man of 36 yo, dont exercise, have IBS with constipation and had intestinal obstructions 1 year ago. Also have anxiety disorders (panic with agoraphobia, social phobia, somatoform disorder and addiction to benzo meds).

Pain on the left hand and arm is not worse under stress, in fact when im busy and have something else at daytime like an important appointment, so less time to worry about the pain, the pain seem to decrease and even stop until the other stress event is over.

Since all those tests are 1 year older, should I ask my Cardiologist to have others tests like a nuclear test? He think its all anxiety related but my symptoms are worse and worse. Im now doing nothing physical to avoid to have tachycardia, chest pain and arm and hand pain.

My heart beat is over exeggerated, little physical activity like climbing stairs or even just get up from a sit position to a standing one will bring my heart rate from 75 to 130 and more...blood pressure is normal to low, especially the diastolic seem to increase under stress but return to the low side at rest, systolic seem to not react so badly to stress and stay the same. At rest my blood pressure with 10 mg of Propanolol I take when I get up in the morning will be around 110/55-60... under stress it will run in the 115/80 range with the Propanolol...who seem for me a good blood pressure. I get dizzy and have orthostatic hypotension often when I get up from a sit to a standing position, the dizziness and blindness will last 30 seconds and will feel ok after that. Didnt had POTS tests since no tilt table in the hospitals in the city where I live but my regular Doc think I may have a dysautonomia problem from the chronic stress I live since 2009...

Anyway some advises will be welcome, thanks everyone.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

The nerves in the hand namely the ulnar and the median nerves could have been affected with repetitive impact injury. The median nerve can get compressed in the wrist leading to carpal tunnel syndrome, where in the index finger, the thumb and the middle finger can be affected.  The ulnar nerve at the elbow could be causing the radiating pain to the elbow and wrist. Nerve conduction Studies will help to detect lesions in the nerves.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[DefectorQC]

Thanks...I see my Doc in 2 weeks and will ask him...

I have numbness at the wrist and the base of my left hand and some fingers as well. One thing that I notice is that when I hold something cold or hot with my left hand, the pain is worse...if I do the same thing with the right hand I feel nothing, well I feel the hot and cold effect but its not painfull like on the left hand... Im not diabetic, dont sleep on my hands, didnt work or had trauma...but had a repetitive work for years but it was more than 10 years ago so it cant be from that no?

Also the pain is not only in my hand but on all my left arm and sometimes in my left leg as well...nothing on the right side...thats what bother me the most...should be nerve related since my persantine nuclear heart test is ok...

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Your symptoms could be due to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The nerve innervating (supplying) the thumb, the index finger and the middle fingers is the median nerve. This can get compressed in the wrist, leading to numbness of these areas leading to a condition called Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The nerve can get compressed due to obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, hypothyroidism, arthritis and trauma. Would advise you to consult your primary care physician who may do a neurological assessment and may ask for Nerve conduction Studies to detect lesions in the nerves.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.